“Go look in your kitchen and see what you already have,” Love and Lemons blogger, Jeanine Donofrio, writes. “You probably already have some kind of nuts, herbs, or greens to use as a starting point. More often than not, if I make a pistachio pesto, it’s not because I’m trying to be fancy… pistachios just happened to be the nut I had that day.” Try one of her many pesto alternatives with tasty ingredients like mint, cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, and hazelnuts.

Photos by Jeanine Donofrio

Made the pesto? Now decide what to serve it with. Fish, meat, veggies, tofu, salad, eggs, cardboard – anything works, really. Our choice of the moment? Pappardelle (translation: wide pasta). Paired with kale pesto and fig & arugula flatbread, it’s a fresh, complex, end-of-summer supper. Just be sure to grill the flatbread until crunchy and, for a zesty bite, add crushed red pepper to the pasta.